‘Police’ means an officially organized force which maintains law and order in a country. A police force works to restore peace in disturbed conditions and to protect lives and properties of the citizens. Police force is maintained by every country of the world. Do you know when and how police force came into existence?
In the beginning of civilization the chief of a race or tribe used to depend upon some warriors to maintain peace. During that time the chiefs or kings used soldiers as policemen. It was Caesar Augustus of Rome who organized a special contingent of police for the first time in the world around the year of Christ’s birth for maintaining peace in his country. This system continued for three hundred and fifty years. This police force used to obey the orders of the king. In the seventh century, people started thinking of ‘security police’. They felt the necessity of organizing a police force, which, instead of obeying the orders of the king, should protect people and the law of the land. This thinking started in England and later spread to America.
The English were first to adopt the police system for their protection. In India the police system was started by the East India Company on December 7, 1792. Every important place was provided with officer-in-charge, a sub-inspector of police or station house officer along with an assistant sub-inspector, ten policemen and a police-clerk. In 1861, the first Police Act came into force and. rules regarding the uniform, salary and service conditions of the policemen were made. Then it was decided to give the policemen a uniform consisting of a red and blue-colour turban and blue clothings and heavy boots. Subsequently, many improvements were made in the police uniform. There are police forces in every country and every state which look after the security and maintain law and order.